Back in December and early January, there was a huge controversy in Boca Raton, Florida’s Sanborn Square park because atheists and Satanists had put up their own displays in response to a Nativity scene on the property. They had every right to do it and they were making a point about free speech and the First Amendment.

The city really had two choices: Allow all displays like last year or none of them at all. And if they couldn’t stop the vandalism, it made perfect sense to go with the latter option in the future.

Ironically, that would have meant the person who vandalized the Satanic display, who I always assumed was Christian (though I don’t know that), effectively prompted the removal of the Nativity scene from the park.

That hope, however, was short-lived. Hours after that proposal became public, the Boca Raton City Council voted to do something very different. Satanic monuments would indeed be banned, but some religious ones would be allowed in the park: A Nativity scene, a Christmas tree, a menorah, and a snowman.

The thinking behind this, I assume, is that the law obviously prevents an establishment of religion… but if you have a Christian display, a Jewish display, and a couple of other random things thrown in there, it’ll throw everyone off the scent! The law makes clear that a Nativity scene may be allowed on government property as long as it’s not the only game in town.

Boca Raton can buy and place a nativity scene, menorah, Christmas tree and snowman without legal repercussion, Haynie said, citing advice from the city attorney.

The reason for why the city was making this decision suggested the real goal was to keep Satanists and atheists out of a public space — and that could be grounds for a legal discrimination case.

City leaders say the move would relieve the burden of policing the displays.

“When (police are) being called to respond to these vandalism issues, they’re taking officers away from other people who might need it,” said Chrissy Gibson, city spokeswoman. She added that the decision to place city-owned displays is not yet official.

“We’ll hear from the public (at the meeting),” Gibson said.

To put that another way… someone vandalized a Satanist’s display, therefore the city decided to punish the Satanist.

If they’re going to reward the vandal like that, why not give him a medal? It was an absurd response. If police officers can’t respond to acts of vandalism, then they should work to prevent that from happening, not punish the victims.